Fabrizio Romano recently said of the speculation regarding a return to management for Klopp - who walked away from Anfield in the summer of 2024: “Real Madrid lost their first game with Alvaro Arbeloa as manager, being eliminated from the Copa del Rey against Albacete, but this does not change anything about his future. It was his first game and he had only one training session, so it cannot be judged as part of an Arbeloa era.
“Arbeloa will have his opportunity in the Champions League and La Liga, and those performances will define his chances of continuing beyond this season. At the same time, Real Madrid will still be planning for summer 2026 in case they decide to make a change.
“On Jurgen Klopp, there are people inside Real Madrid who really appreciate him, and I can confirm that he has supporters within the club. However, this must start from Klopp himself. Real Madrid will not approach him asking if he wants to return to coaching.
“If Klopp decides publicly that he wants to return, then he could be considered in the summer, but only if Arbeloa does not stay. For now, Klopp remains focused on his role with Red Bull and there is nothing advanced with Real Madrid.”
Klopp is said to be demanding that Real part with three senior players before he considers taking charge. It is claimed that Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior has “total incompatibility” with Klopp, while Franco Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz could also be moved on.
Ramon Alvarez de Mon is, however, claiming that Emery is now a favoured choice of many at the Bernabeu. He has posted on social media: “If Real Madrid were to decide on a coaching change at the end of the season, Unai Emery would be the best positioned. There have already been conversations in recent days to gauge his availability. More details on the channel.”